First brewed in the 1950s, Dupont reincarnated this from their recipe archives. This one could and should have been tweaked a bit more. It’s trying to be more of a Stout and forgetting it’s Belgian, but don't blame the monks—they had nothing to do with it. Worth a try if you can handle an acrid burnt character.

Poured into a Leffe goblet. Dark caramel chocolate in colour, with about a half inch of fluffy head that settles into a very thin ring. Some not overly pleasant flakes of sediment swirl around the glass before finally settling. Not the most attractive brew out there.

Nose isn't bad - dry roasted grain, a bit of fruit - cherry or strawberry - with a mild sweetness and a hint of Belgian yeast. Smells like a Belgian dark ale, which is more or less what I had expected.

But boy does it not taste like one. Extremely dry, tart, almost citric, which utterly dominates the brew, leaving little else for the taste buds to detect. It was okay for the first few sips or so, but man the finish really drags on. Very, very dry with a Belgian yeast component. Mouthfeel is certainly of the Belgian variety, and is lighter bodied and a bit slick.

It was intended to be a British-Belgian stout hybrid (I think), but the end result was certainly far less than the sum of its parts. Not a fan of this brew at all, which is a shame, as I was really looking forward to this. Don't think I'll be drinking this again.

Massively carbonated with a tightly knit khaki colored head. Dark brown in color and only a bit of light gets through. Brussels lacing. This beer is virtually odorless,but with a lot of effort I got a bit of dark malt. The flavor is a bit on the sweet dark malty side. Perhaps a bit of powdered cocoa in the mix. The mouth is creamy and dry.

Appearance: almost black with a touch of red glimmering like dried blood; fine, mocha head with good retention

Aroma: drifts from the glass strongly, more bitter and acidic than expected, almost like balsamic vinegar; chocolate most prevalent in the roast; some dark cherry

Taste & Mouthfeel: not your typical stout! very bitter and acidic roast (aroma was telling) and a little thin - like corner store coffee, and with about as much depth and length; things are going downhill fast, actually becomes more unpleasant and almost undrinkable - it's puckering, becoming sour - I'm done

Overall: first sip wasn't bad, but it rapidly fell apart with a surprisingly weak body and sour, vinegary flavour - I'm all for trying something different, but this just isn't right

This beer pours a mostly clear (I think) very dark brownish cola hue, with slight caramel highlights, and a teeming tower of puffy, effervescent, and loosely foamy, tiny-bubbled beige head, which leaves some very Hawaiian Island-esque lace around the glass as things slowly sink away.

It smells of roasted biscuity caramel malt, a hefty dose of sharp, oily nuttiness, a subtle black fruitiness, a touch of bittersweet cocoa and coffee, some dry baker's yeast, and subdued earthy, leafy hops. The taste is much bigger on the dark chocolate and day-old coffee essences than initially led with, pushing the caramel sweetness down a peg or three, the dark fruitiness getting a mildly sour tang to it, the Belgian yeast reveling in their second life, and some musty, dusty, earthy hops bringing up the rear.

The carbonation is tight, and reserved in its bristling frothiness, the body a wavering medium weight, and none too smooth, as the bubbles and yeast have this sort of unholy pact to scour my tongue. It finishes off-dry, the toasty choco-cafe notes not ready to give up just yet, while the yeast and musty hops round things out.

An English stout, by way of the Wallonian countryside, this is. Perhaps there's a reason for that there English channel - the English have their stout, and the Belgians have their fruit and yeast, ne'er the two shall meet. But here they have, and the result is middling at best, and not something I'll be jumping to revisit.

Bottle from the Dupont LCBO feature, and the weakest though most unique offering.. Body looks like a nitro black. Faint roastiness, more molasses taste. A weaker stout for sure. So-so drinkability, and dare I say a little thin.A little bitter but not interesting.Watered down coffee substitute.

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a chalice. Body is a deep dark brown with a smallish creamy white head that doesn't stick around for very long. Aroma of dark malt with a good bit of roasty character, along with a good bit of funk from the saison yeast and some notes of lactose and sourness. Palate is a bit flat. Dark malt, a slight hoppy bitterness, and a touch of lactose up front give way to the saison yeast on the swallow. Funky, tangy yeast and a bit of dark fruit flavor come through on the finish. Body is a little thin, especially if a stout is the proscribed style here. A slightly chalky note on the finish also isn't particularly pleasant. I'm a bit disappointed in this one. I love the other beers from DuPont, so I guess my expectations were a little high. Oh well, they can't all be winners.

T: Figs, woody hops, watered down tea. As this warms, more of the same, whispers of juicy-fruit. Minimal head retention & lacing. Finishes with vauge figgyness, leafy hops & tobacco. Real close to a drain pour